1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel and improved slam-capable door lock assembly that includes a housing-carried set of operating components that latchingly engage a keeper as a closure on which the lock assembly is mounted is moved to its closed position. More particularly, the present invention relates to an opposed-jaw type of double-acting lock assembly that has a two-piece housing of novel and improved design, with the housing-carried operating components including a novel and improved slide for concurrently operating a set of spring-biased, oppositely pivoted jaws that latchingly engage a suitably configured keeper.
2. Prior Art
Locks are known that employ pairs of opposed, spring-biased bolts for engaging a keeper. By way of example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,594 issued Dec. 31, 1974 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY, referred to hereinafter as the "Prior Utility Patent," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and to U.S. Pat. No. 231,723 issued Jun. 4, 1974 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK, referred to hereinafter as the "Prior Design Patent," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The Prior Utility Patent discloses mechanical features of one such lock. The Prior Design Patent relates to external appearance features of one such lock.
While the subject matter of the Prior Utility Patent has provided a well-accepted slam-capable door lock that is well suited for use in what are referred to by those who are skilled in the art as "personnel restraint applications" (e.g., locks for passenger compartment doors of vehicles), a need has arisen for a lighter-duty but similarly configured door lock formed from a lesser number of complexly configured components, with the lighter-duty lock being usable in "non-passenger-restraint" types of applications, typically for controlling access to vehicle storage compartments that are not intended to restrain passengers but rather are used typically to house tools, supplies and the like.
3. The Cross-Referenced Parent and Related Cases
The Parent and Related Utility Cases to which reference is made on Page One hereof have in common with the present case the fact that the subjects matter of all of these cases relate to the provision of relatively light-duty lock assemblies that are intended to be used in what are referred to by those who are skilled in the art as "non-personnel restraint" types of applications. Likewise, the subjects matter of all of these cases draw upon features of proven technology of the type that has resulted from experience that has been gained through use of the invention that forms the subject matter of the Prior Utility Patent. Also, the subjects matter of these cases address an existing need to provide reliable lock assemblies that are formed from a minimal number of components that preferably include only a relatively small number of complexly configured components that are used together with components that are formed relatively inexpensively, typically as sheet metal stampings.
The Parent and Related Utility cases each disclose the possibility of substituting, for a one-piece slide, a plural-piece slide assembly that includes interfitted stamped metal components. The plural-piece slide assembly includes one stamped part formed from relatively thick sheet metal, and one stamped part formed from relatively thin sheet metal, with the thinner part having a pair of closely-spaced parallel portions that serve to reinforce a central region of the thicker part -- a region that needs to be able to resist deformation.
The Parent Design Case to which reference is made on Page One hereof discloses appearance features, some of which are used together with some of the appearance features that are disclosed in the Prior Design Patent in the "preferred embodiment" for carrying out the "best mode" known to the inventors for practicing the present invention; however, this is done in order to enhance the appearance of the resulting product, and to incorporate certain of the appearance features that are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,455,909.